HT Correspondent
GUWAHATI/KOKRAJHAR, Sept 27: The Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), led by former BTC Chief Hagrama Mohilary, secured a decisive mandate in the recently concluded Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, winning 28 of the 40 seats and emerging as the clear majority party.
The United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alliance partners in the outgoing council, won seven and five seats respectively, down from their previous tallies of 12 and nine.
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The elections, held on September 22 across the five districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri and Tamulpur, recorded a voter turnout of over 78 per cent from an electorate of 26,58,153, comprising 13,23,536 males, 13,34,600 females, and 17 people of other genders.
Of the 40 seats, 30 were reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates, five for non-STs, and five were open to both ST and non-ST candidates.
The BPF achieved sweeping victories in several districts.
In Kokrajhar, the party won 11 out of 12 constituencies, leaving the UPPL with only one seat in Srirampur. In Udalguri, BPF claimed seven seats, the BJP two and the UPPL one.
In Chirang, the BPF secured five seats and the UPPL two, while in Tamulpur both BPF and BJP won two seats each and the UPPL one.
In Baksa, the BPF won three seats, the UPPL two, and the BJP one.
Hagrama Mohilary retained his Debargaon seat but lost Chirangduar to former BPF colleague Khampa Borgoyary, now in the UPPL.
Outgoing BTC chief Pramod Boro won Goimari but was defeated in Dotma by BPF’s Prakash Basumatary.
Other notable winners included former minister Rihon Daimari from Bhairabkunda and former AGP minister Rekharani Das Boro, now in the BJP, from Baganpara.
The BPF had previously emerged as the single largest party in the 2020 BTC elections with 17 seats, but the UPPL, BJP and Gana Suraksha Party (GSP) had formed the outgoing council.
The 2025 elections mark the second council polls following the fresh Bodo Accord signed in New Delhi on January 27, 2020.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that the NDA will form the next council in the Bodoland Territorial Region, noting that the cancellation of campaign events three days before elections due to the demise of singer Zubeen Garg had been a setback for the BJP.
UPPL president Pramod Boro, while acknowledging the outcome, extended his congratulations to the BPF and its elected members.
“The 5th BTR Elections 2025 have concluded. The people of BTR have spoken, and although the results are contrary to our expectations, I accept their verdict with humility. I extend my congratulations to all winning candidates and reiterate UPPL’s continued commitment to carrying forward the aspirations of BTR,” he said.
With this emphatic victory, the BPF is poised to return to power and form the next BTC council with a clear majority, restoring its dominant presence in the region. (With inputs from PTI)
